Ecclesiastes 8
1 Who is as the wise man? and who knoweth the interpretation of a thing? A man's wisdom maketh his face to shine, and the boldness of his face is changed.
Sapientia hominis lucet in vultu ejus, et potentissimus faciem illius commutabit.
2 I counsel thee: keep the king's command, and that in regard of the oath of God.
Ego os regis observo, et præcepta juramenti Dei.
3 Be not hasty to go out of his presence; stand not in an evil thing; for he doeth whatsoever pleaseth him.
Ne festines recedere a facie ejus, neque permaneas in opere malo: quia omne quod voluerit faciet.
4 Forasmuch as the king's word hath power; and who may say unto him: 'What doest thou?'
Et sermo illius potestate plenus est, nec dicere ei quisquam potest: Quare ita facis?
5 Whoso keepeth the commandment shall know no evil thing; and a wise man's heart discerneth time and judgment.
Qui custodit præceptum non experietur quidquam mali. Tempus et responsionem cor sapientis intelligit.
6 For to every matter there is a time and judgment; for the evil of man is great upon him.
Omni negotio tempus est, et opportunitas: et multa hominis afflictio,
7 For he knoweth not that which shall be; for even when it cometh to pass, who shall declare it unto him?
quia ignorat præterita, et futura nullo scire potest nuntio.
8 There is no man that hath power over the wind to retain the wind; neither hath he power over the day of death; and there is no discharge in war; neither shall wickedness deliver him that is given to it.
Non est in hominis potestate prohibere spiritum, nec habet potestatem in die mortis: nec sinitur quiescere ingruente bello, neque salvabit impietas impium.
9 All this have I seen, even applied my heart thereto, whatever the work that is done under the sun; what time one man had power over another to his hurt.
Omnia hæc consideravi, et dedi cor meum in cunctis operibus quæ fiunt sub sole. Interdum dominatur homo homini in malum suum.
10 And so I saw the wicked buried, and they entered into their rest; but they that had done right went away from the holy place, and were forgotten in the city; this also is vanity.
Vidi impios sepultos, qui etiam cum adhuc viverent in loco sancto erant, et laudabantur in civitate quasi justorum operum. Sed et hoc vanitas est.
11 Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil;
Etenim quia non profertur cito contra malos sententia, absque timore ullo filii hominum perpetrant mala.
12 because a sinner doeth evil a hundred times, and prolongeth his days — though yet I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, that fear before Him;
Attamen peccator ex eo quod centies facit malum, et per patientiam sustentatur; ego cognovi quod erit bonum timentibus Deum, qui verentur faciem ejus.
13 but it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong his days, which are as a shadow, because he feareth not before God.
Non sit bonum impio, nec prolongentur dies ejus, sed quasi umbra transeant qui non timent faciem Domini.
14 There is a vanity which is done upon the earth: that there are righteous men, unto whom it happeneth according to the work of the wicked; again, there are wicked men, to whom it happeneth according to the work of the righteous — I said that this also is vanity.
Est et alia vanitas quæ fit super terram: sunt justi quibus mala proveniunt quasi opera egerint impiorum: et sunt impii qui ita securi sunt quasi justorum facta habeant. Sed et hoc vanissimum judico.
15 So I commended mirth, that a man hath no better thing under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be merry, and that this should accompany him in his labour all the days of his life which God hath given him under the sun.
Laudavi igitur lætitiam; quod non esset homini bonum sub sole, nisi quod comederet, et biberet, atque gauderet, et hoc solum secum auferret de labore suo, in diebus vitæ suæ quos dedit ei Deus sub sole.
16 When I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to see the business that is done upon the earth — for neither day nor night do men see sleep with their eyes —
Et apposui cor meum ut scirem sapientiam, et intelligerem distentionem quæ versatur in terra. Est homo qui diebus et noctibus somnum non capit oculis.
17 then I beheld all the work of God, that man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun; because though a man labour to seek it out, yet he shall not find it; yea further, though a wise man think to know it, yet shall he not be able to find it.
Et intellexi quod omnium operum Dei nullam possit homo invenire rationem eorum quæ fiunt sub sole; et quanto plus laboraverit ad quærendum, tanto minus inveniat: etiam si dixerit sapiens se nosse, non poterit reperire.
